Prefer watching over reading? The video above is an embedded VOD from my CheckpointVibes YouTube channel, featuring gameplay from one of my livestreams. It’s included as a companion to this review so you can see the game in action while reading—or simply enjoy the gameplay on its own.
| Developer | Chugga Chugga LLC |
| Publisher | Chugga Chugga LLC |
| Release Date | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Genre | Roguelite Deckbuilder |
| Platform | PC |
| Where to Wishlist | Steam |
If you’ve been following my streams or reading my articles here on TheDailyGamePad, then you already know one thing about me: I absolutely love roguelike deckbuilders. They’re easily one of my favorite genres, so when the developer provided us with a playtest copy of Slumber Realm, I was excited to jump in and see what it had to offer. I also featured the game during one of my 12-hour livestreams, and after spending some time with it, I came away genuinely impressed.
The first thing that stood out to me wasn’t even the gameplay—it was the presentation. Slumber Realm has this nostalgic 90s bedroom aesthetic that immediately pulled me in. Instead of navigating a traditional menu, you interact with objects around your room. You begin your adventure by opening a composition notebook, which serves as your journal, and from there your nightly adventures begin. It’s a small detail, but it gives the game a ton of personality right from the start.
Gameplay revolves around building a deck while surviving a series of nightmares, but Slumber Realm puts its own spin on the formula. Every battle alternates between daytime and nighttime phases, and that simple mechanic ends up changing how you think about every card you play. Some cards only activate during the day, others only at night, while a handful can be used during either phase. That means you’re constantly thinking several turns ahead instead of simply playing the strongest card available.
On top of that, positioning your cards actually matters. Rearranging your deck can dramatically change how your abilities trigger, and combining that with dice rolls creates a really satisfying layer of strategy. Between forging cards to improve their activation ranges, patching them to add additional uses, and deciding when to invest resources, I found myself constantly tweaking my build to squeeze out every advantage I could.
The enemy designs also deserve some credit. Rather than fighting traditional monsters, you’re battling bizarre childhood nightmares. One minute you’re facing a broccoli buffalo, and the next you’re going toe-to-toe with things like murderous mushrooms, geology homework, or even a giant roly-poly. It’s weird in the best way possible and fits the dreamlike theme perfectly.
One thing I really appreciated was how much decision-making the game gives you between fights. Whether you’re choosing new cards, shopping at the marketplace, unlocking upgrades, or deciding which path to take next, it always feels like you’re shaping your own build instead of being forced into one strategy. I caught myself constantly debating whether I wanted more damage, better defense, or additional utility cards, and I love games that make every reward screen feel meaningful.
Even after a run ends, the game doesn’t simply throw you back to the main menu. You wake up in your bedroom, earn allowance based on your performance, and can spend it unlocking permanent upgrades or even play small minigames before heading back into another night. Those little touches make the world feel surprisingly alive and give you something to work toward outside of combat.
Now, since this is a playtest, there were a couple of rough edges. Early on, the game froze after an update, and I actually had to restart it before everything worked correctly. Once I relaunched it, though, I didn’t run into the same issue again. That’s exactly the kind of thing I expect from a playtest, and it’s why feedback during this stage is so valuable.
I also ran into one accessibility issue during one of the bedroom minigames. Because I’m partially colorblind, telling apart a couple of the sock colors was a little difficult at first. Thankfully, the game does provide an outline around matching pairs, which helped, but I think additional accessibility options for color differentiation would make that section even better.
By the time I reached the boss, I had put together what felt like my best run yet. I didn’t manage to take home the victory, but honestly, I wasn’t frustrated. Instead, I immediately started thinking about what I’d change on my next attempt, and to me, that’s one of the biggest compliments you can give a roguelike deckbuilder. When losing makes you excited to jump back in, the game is doing something right.
Slumber Realm does a great job of taking familiar deckbuilding mechanics and giving them its own identity. The day-and-night system, nostalgic 90s setting, creative nightmare enemies, and thoughtful progression all come together to create something that feels fresh while still scratching that “just one more run” itch.
If you’re already a fan of roguelike deckbuilders, I think this is one that’s absolutely worth keeping an eye on. There’s currently both a playtest and a demo available, so if the concept sounds interesting, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try and sharing your feedback with the developers. Based on my time with it, I’m looking forward to seeing how the full release shapes up.
As always, I’ll also be embedding my VOD from the livestream below this article if you’d rather watch the gameplay than read about it. Big thanks again to the developer for providing us at TheDailyGamePad with a copy of the playtest for coverage.
